Separable interlocking fastener



Feb. 27, 1962 E. BERBERICH 3,022,559

' SEPRABLE INTERLOCKING FASTENER Filed NOV. 3, 1955 INVENTOR. *i-wf. @uw

BY M sm United States Patent O 3,022,559 SEPARABLE NI'ERLOCKING FASTENER Erich Berberich, Stolberg, Germany, assignor to William Prym-Werke K.G., Stolberg, Germany Filed Nov. 3, 1955, Ser. No. 544,771 Claims priority, application Germany Nov. 4, 1954 23 Claims. (Cl. 24205.13)

Separable interlocking fasteners comprise generally a pair of stringers, such as fabric tapes, and two rows of interlocking elements consisting either of metal or of plastic and being connected to the stringers in any suitable manner. For example, the elements may be attached by clamping, sewing, riveting, gluing or pasting or by the application of heat and pressure, i.e. some sort of Welding or they may be moulded or casted to the stringers.

If the rows of interlocking elements are formed by substantially helically wound wires of metal or plastic, then the stringers are folded on two-ply tapes, the middle part of which contains no warp threads but weft threads only. Each helix is pressed right through the ladder like middle part of -a tape so that the weft threads engage between the windings of the helix and thus hold the latter on the folded tape. In some cases the helixes are attached to the tape by sewing or by weaving or by means of an edge warp thread of the tape running longitudinally through the helix. Flexible slide fasteners comprising homogeneous stringers with continuous interconnecting ledges, for example dovetailed ledges are not comparable with separable interlocking fasteners according to the present invention.

The invention relates to separable interlocking fasteners of the slider type in which the interlocking takes place in a manner somewhat similar to the interlocking of fasteners having rows of interlocking elements formed by a helix. According to the invention the interlocking is effected by means of more or less inclined horse shoelike loops of a material, as plastic, metal or the like having a round, oval, dat, or other suitable cross section. The loop forming material has such qualities which enable it to be used as a thread in a weaving, plaiting, or knitting process, and, in fact, said material forms part of the interlaced or interwoven threads of woven, plaited, or knitted fabric tapes or ribbons constituting the stringers of the fastener. Consequently the interlocking elements can already be produced by the manufacture of the stringers or tapes, for example during the weaving of the latter, the said elements being preferably formed by looplike parts of weft threads projecting from the tape or from an edge bead of the same and serve as interlocking portions of the slide fastener type adapted to be interlocked with corresponding portions on the other Stringer by movement of a slider in one direction along the stringers. Unless the stringers are made of a uniform material as for example nylon throughout, the weft threads forming the interlocking elements or loops may wholly or partly consist of other materials than the other weft threads and they may also dier therefrom in shape and thickness.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial side view of a pair of stringers made according to the present invention and shown in engaged position;

FIG. 2 is a partial top view of the stringers;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 2, showing the interengaging portions of the stringers to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of a modication showing the interengaging portions of two stringers to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a partially sectional side view of another modification;

FIG. 6 is a partial side view of a single Stringer showing a further modification of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a partial side view of two stringers in disengaged position and showing a further modification of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a fastener part, showing this part before assembly with the respective Stringer tape; and

FIG. 9 schematically illustrates the assembly of the part shown in FiG. 8 with a Stringer tape.

Referring new to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 3, it can be seen that the interlocking fastener consists of ya pair of woven tapes 1 and 2 each being formed on its inner edge facing the inner edge of the other Stringer with a plurality of equally spaced horseshoe-like loops 3 protruding beyond the edge portion of the respective tape. The loops 3 of the stringers interengage with each other, as can be best seen in FIG. 3, so that the stringers 1 and 2 are fastened to each other. The loops are formed from material which has such qualities which enables it to be used as a thread in a weaving, plaiting or knitting process and the material of the loops forms part of the interlaced or interwoven threads of the tapes constituting the stringers of the fastener.

The loops are interengaged in the usual way by a common type slider having a Y-channel and the flanges of the slider channel are guided on the tape by heavy edge portions 4 and 5, respectively, which are Woven adjacent the inner edge faces of the tapes in any Well-known manner.

In order to improve their interlocking function the loops or the loop forming threads respectively may wholly or partly be provided with thickenings, knots or the like as shown in FIG. 4, or it may give them any other suitable shape for instance by stamping, pressing or other hot o1' cold shaping methods as shown in FIG. 5. AS clearly shown in FIG. 4, each of the loops 3' is formed at its extreme end with a knot 6 and the knots 6 formed in the loops of one Stringer engage into the loop portion of the opposite stringer, thus providing a very secure interlocking.

FIG. 5 shows another modification in which the extreme ends 7 of the loops 3 are formed into a suitable shape by stamping, pressing or hot or cold shaping methods to improve the interlocking of the loops formed on the opposing stringers. The loop ends 7 shown in the FG. 5 with oval cross sections may of course be shaped to any other suitable configurations. At that edge 4' or 5 of the stringers or tapes where the interlocking takes place the marginal warp threads 14 may be so positioned or worked in that they wholly or partly form guide means for the slider. To this end according to the invention a bead-like thickening 4, 5, respectively is provided at the said edge of the tapes. The loops 3 being preferably arranged at the side of the bead 4 or 5 and anchored thereto by means of the warp threads 14 of the bead in order to obtain horseshoe-like loops.

The weft threads 15 whose projecting portions form loop-like interlocking elements may constitute the whole of the weft material of the woven stringers or only part of the weft material. Furthermore said loop-forming threads may, if desired, go to and fro over the full width of the stringers as shown in FIG. 1 or only over a part Patented Feb. 27, 1962.

of the width, for instance, they may be worked in at the bead edge of the stringers only as shown in FIG. 6. In the latter instance, the loop forming threads 8 may either alone or together with other threads of like or similar material form behind the bead of the stringers a longitudinal reinforcement 4 constituting a guide for the slider. At all events, the threads whose projecting portions form the interlocking elements have a quality suitable for this purpose. They are exible but relatively stiff. They may consist of wires of plastic, as nylon for instance, or of metal.

Instead of using one or more weft threads for the production of the interlocking elements said elements may also be formed by projecting portions of other threads of the woven stringers. Especially, the interlocking elements can be formed by portions of a longitudinal thread, as a filling thread, of the bead-edge of the stringers, said portions projecting at intervals form the bead edge to form interlocking elements which may have the form of heads, hooks or some other suitable shape.

Within the scope of the invention it is possible that only one stringer 1' is provided with loop-like interlocking elements formed by loop-like projecting portions of weft threads 9 whereas the other stringers 2' have heador hook-like 10 or similar interlocking elements formed by projecting portions of a filling thread of the bead-edge, as shown in FIG. 7, said heador hook-like elements of the last-named stringer engaging the loop-like elements of the first-named Stringer.

In a further embodiment of the invention the interlocking elements are formed by a weft thread arranged in meander-form at the bead-edge of the stringers, the elements being positioned either at the side or at the front of the bead, as may be desired.

Substantially the same effect as in the last described embodiment can be attained when instead of the above mentioned woven chain of interlocking elements a row of interlocking elements is provided which consists of a strip of flexible plastic the middle part of which is stamped out to form a ladder. This strip is folded around an edge of a Stringer and connected thereto, whereby the spokes of the ladder form at the edge of Stringer U-shaped or loop-like interlocking elements. Preferably, the folded strip of plastic is welded to the Stringer. The latter way contains for this purpose interwoven or interlaced threads of a plastic material which is capable, on being subjected to heat and pressure, to weld the stringer to the ladderlike strip. Each spoke of the ladder-like strip of plastic may be provided, at their middle, with a tongue-shaped lug, the lugs on the interlocking elements of the one Stringer being adapted to engage the interlocking elements of the other Stringer, and vice versa. The said lugs may, if desired, thickened or reinforced by folding. Furthermore, the edges of Ithe strip of plastic which form on the Stringer continuous ledges for guiding the slider may be reinforced by folding.

The stringers with loop-like interlocking elements according to the invention need not necessarily be made in one piece, but it is also possible to manufacture the same for instance in two separably woven parts and consequently in two or more working processes. In this case, each stringer may be composed of a woven, plaited or knitted row or chains of loops of metal, plastic or the like, and of a tape or ribbon of normal or known construction, the said row or chain of loops being applied to the normal tape in such manner that it surrounds the tape edge, whereupon it is attached to the tape by sewing. The chain or row of loops consists of a narrow tape or ribbon 11 (FIG. 8) having outer longitudinal portions made of strong interwoven warp threads 14 and weft threads 16 of a suitable eXible material. The middle part 12 of the ribbon contains no warp threads 14 but weft threads 16 only, so that it resembles some sort of ladder. When this ribbon 1l is folded around an edge of the normal tape or ribbon 13, as shown in FIG. 9 and sewed thereto, then the weft threads 16 or ladder spokes of its middle part form horseshoe-like loops constituting a row of interlocking elements, while the edges 18 of the folded ribbon form longitudinal guides for the slider. Instead of being sewed the folded narrow tape may be pasted, glued or welded to the ordinary tape, and the latter can for the purpose of welding contain some threads of plastic which on being subjected to heat and pressure cause the two tapes to be welded together.

A slope or inclination of the loops can, if desired, be obtained by arranging the two plies of the folded narrow tape in staggered relation, which means that the one ply is somewhat displaced to the other in longitudinal direction. The slope may also be obtained already during the manufacture of the narrow ribbon by a suitable arrangement of the loop forming weft threads in the fabric.

The invention is not limited to the described embodiments since it is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various Ways. Also it is understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

I claim:

1. A separable interlocking fastener of the slider type, comprising in combination, two stringers made of threads which are interlaced with each other, said stringers having longitudinal edges facing each other; and a row of spaced interlocking elements on said longitudinal edge of each Stringer, said interlocking elements being formed by portions of said interlaced threads projecting beyond said edge of each Stringer, each of said thread portions forming said interlocking elements extending uninterruptedly from one longitudinal location along said one edge toward the facing longitudinal edge of the other stringer and back to substantially the same longitudinal location along said one edge, and each of said thread portions having at an outer free end an interlocking portion adapted to releasably interlock directly with the corresponding interlocking portion of the other Stringer, said interlocking portion on said one Stringer being at least in part longitudinally displaced with respect to said longitudinal location, and said interlocking portions on one of said stringers interlock only with the interlocking portions on .the other Stringer to releasably interlock the two stringers of the fastener.

2. A separable interlocking slide fastener of the slider type comprising, in comprising, in combination, two stringers having facing longitudinal edges and each comprising at least in an edge portion along the facing edges thereof interwoven warp and weft threads and a row of spaced interlocking elements along the facing edge of each of said stringers, each of said rows of interlocking elements including attaching portions consisting of continuous interwoven thread portions of said interwoven warp and weft threads of said edge portion of the respective Stringer, and each of said interlocking elements including an interlocking projection formed by a continuation of the thread portion forming the attaching portions of said interlocking element and projecting from the facing edge of the respective stringer outwardly in direction towards the'facing edge of the other Stringer and each of said interlocking projections having an interlocking portion of the slide fastener type for direct interlocking engagement with at least one interlocking portion of interlocking elements along the facing edge of the other Stringer.

3. A separable interlocking slide fastener of the slider type comprising, in comprising, in combination, two stringers having facing longitudinal edges and each comprising at least in an edge portion along the facing edges thereof interwoven warp and weft threads and a row of spaced interlocking elements along the facing edge of each of said stringers, each of said rows of interlocking elements including attaching portions consisting of continuous interwoven weft thread portions of said interwoven warp and weft threads of said edge portion of the respective Stringer, and each of said interlocking elements including an interlocking projection formed by a continuation of the weft thread portion forming the attaching portions of said interlocking element and projecting from the facing edge of the respective Stringer outwardly in direction towards the facing edge of the other Stringer and each of said interlocking projections having an interlocking portion of the slide fastener type for direct interlocking engagement with at least one interlocking portion of interlocking elements along the facing edge of the other Stringer.

4. A separable interlocking slide fastener of the slider type comprising, in combination, two stringers having facing longitudinal edges and each comprising at least in an edge portion along the facing edges thereof interwoven warp and weft threads and a row of spaced interlocking elements along the facing edge of each of said stringers, each of said rows of interlocking elements including attaching portions consisting of continuous interwoven warp thread portions of said interwoven warp and weft threads of said edge portion of the respective Stringer, and each of said interlocking elements including an interlocking projection formed by a continuation of the warp thread portion forming the attaching portions of said interlocking element and projecting from the facing edge of the respective Stringer outwardly in directlon towards the facing edge of the other Stringer and each of Said interlocking projections having an interlocking portion of the slide fastener type for direct interlocking engagement with at least one interlocking portion of interlocking elements along the facing edge of the other stringer.

5. A separable interlocking slide fastener of the Slider type comprising, in combination, two stringers having facmg longitudinal edges and comprising interwoven warp and weft threads; and a row of spaced interlocking elements along the facing edge of each of said stringers, each of said rows of interlocking elements being formed by one continuous thread and each of said interlocking elements including attaching portions formed by portions of said continuous thread interwoven with said threads of the Stringer at least in an edge portion along the facmg edge thereof and an interlocking projection projecting from the facing edge of the respective Stringer outwardly 1n direction toward the facing edge of the other Stringer and each of said interlocking projections having an interlocking portion of the slide fastener type for direct interlocking engagement with at least one interlocking portion of interlocking elements along the facing edge of the other Stringer.

6. A separable interlocking slide fastener of the slider type comprising, in combination, two stringers having facmg longitudinal edges and comprising interwoven warp and weft threads; and a row of spaced interlocking elements along the facing edge of each of said stringers, each of said rows of interlocking elements being formed by one continuous weft thread and each of said interlocking elements including attaching portions formed by portions of said continuous thread interwoven with said threads of the Stringer only in an edge portion along the facing edge thereof and an interlocking projection projecting from the facing edge of the respective stringer outwardly in direction toward the facing edge of the other Stringer and each of said interlocking projections having an interlocking portion of the slide fastener type for direct interlocking engagement with at least one interlocking portion of interlocking elements along the facing edge of the other Stringer.

7. A separable interlocking slide fastener of the slider type comprising, in combination, two stringers having facing longitudinal edges and comprising interwoven warp and weft threads; and a row of spaced interlocking elements along the facing edge of each of Said stringers, each of said rows of interlocking elements being formed by one continuous thread and each of said interlocking elements including attaching portions formed by portions of said continuous thread interwoven with said threads of the Stringer at least in an edge portion along the facing edge thereof and an interlocking projection projecting from the facing edge of the respective Stringer outwardly in direction toward the facing edge of the other Stringer and each of said interlocking projections having an interlocking portion of the slide fastener type for direct interlocking engagement with at least one interlocking portion of interlocking elements along the facing edge of the other Stringer, said continuous thread forming the attaching portions and interlocking portions of said interlocking elements being made from exible but relatively stiff material.

8. A separable interlocking slide fastener of the slider type comprising, in combination, two stringers having facing longitudinal edges and comprising interwoven warp and weft threads; and a row of spaced interlocking elements along the facing edge of each of said stringers, each of said rows of interlocking elements being formed by one continuous thread and each of said interlocking elements including attaching portions formed by portions of said continuous thread interwoven with said threads of the Stringer at least in an edge portion along the facing edge thereof and an interlocking projection projecting from the facing edge of the respective Stringer outwardly in direction toward the facing edge of the other Stringer and each of said interlocking projections having an interlocking portion of the slide'fastener type for direct interlocking engagement with at least one interlocking portion of interlocking elements along the facing edge of the other Stringer, said continuous thread forming the attaching portions and interlocking portions of said interlocking elements being made from plastic material.

9. A separable interlocking slide fastener of the slider type comprising, in combination, two stringers having facing longitudinal edges and comprising interwoven warp and weft threads; and a row of spaced interlocking elements along the facing edge of each of said stringers, each of said rows of interlocking elements being formed by one continuous thread and each of said interlocking elements including attaching portions formed by portions of said continuous thread interwoven with said threads of the Stringer at least in an edge portion along the facing edge thereof and an interlocking projection projecting from the facing edge of the respective Stringer outwardly in direction toward the facing edge of the other Stringer and each of said interlocking projections having an interlocking portion of the slide fastener type for direct interlocking engagement with at least one interlocking portion of interlocking elements along the facing edge of the other Stringer, said continuous thread forming the attaching portions and interlocking projections of said interlocking elements being made from flexible but relative stiif material and said interlocking portions having a cross section different from the cross section of said attaching portions.

10. A separable slide fastener of the slider type comprising, in combination, two stringers having facing longitudinal edges and each comprising at least in an edge portion along the facing edges thereof interwoven warp and weft threads and a row of spaced interlocking elements along the facing edge of each of said stringers, each of said rows of interlocking elements including attaching portions consisting of continuous interwoven thread portions of said interwoven warp and weft threads of said edge portion of the respective Stringer, and each of said interlocking elements including an interlocking projection formed by a continuation of the thread portion forming the attaching portions of the respective interlocking element and projecting from the facing edge of the respective Stringer outwardly in direction towards the facing edge of 4the other Stringer and each of said interlocking projections having an interlocking portion of the Slide fastener type for direct interlocking engagement with at least one interlocking portion of interlocking elements along the facing edge of the other Stringer, and the interlocking portions of at least one Stringer being at least in part wider than the thread portions of the respective interlocking element adjacent Said part of said interlocking portion.

11. A separable slide fastener of the slider type comprising, in combination, two stringers having facing longitudinal edges and each comprising at least in an edge portion along the facing edges thereof interwoven warp and weft threads and a row of spaced interlocking elements along the facing edge of each of said stringers, each of said rows of interlocking elements including attaching portions consisting of continuous interwoven thread portions of said interwoven warp and weft threads of Said edge portion of the respective Stringer, and each of said interlocking elements including an interlocking projection formed by a continuation of the thread portion forming the attaching portions of the respective interlocking element and projecting from the facing edge of the respective Stringer outwardly in direction towards the facing edge of the other Stringer and each of said interlocking projections having an interlocking portion of the slide fastener type for direct interlocking engagement with at least one interlocking portion of interlocking elements along the facing edge of the other Stringer, and the interlocking portions of at least one Stringer having in longitudinal direction of said Stringer a width greater than the remainder of the threads forming the interlocking elements of said Stringer.

12. A separable slide fastener of the slider type comprising, in combination, two stringers having facing longitudinal edges and each comprising at least in an edge portion along the facing edges thereof interwoven warp and weft threads and a row of spaced interlocking elements along the facing edge of each of said stringers, each of said rows of interlocking elements including attaching portions consisting of continuous interwoven thread portions of said interwoven warp and weft threads of said edge portion of the respective Stringer, and each of said interlocking elements including an interlocking projection formed by a continuation of the thread portion forming the attaching portions of the respective interlocking element and projecting in form of a loop from the facing edge of the respective Stringer outwardly in direction towards the facing edge of the other Stringer and back -to the facing edge of the respective stringers, and each of said interlocking projections having an interlocking portion of the Slide fastener type for direct interlocking engagement with at least one interlocking portion of interlocking elements along the facing edge of the other Stringer, and the interlocking portions of at least one Stringer extending in the region of the reversing ends of Said loops a distance in longitudinal direction of said Stringer greater than the distance between the facing surface portions of adjacent loops of the other Stringer located between the reversing ends and the facing edge portion of said other Stringer.

13. A separable interlocking Slide fastener of the slider type comprising, in combination, two Stringers having facing longitudinal edges and made of threads which are interlaced with each other; and a row of spaced interlocking elements along the facing edge of each of Said stringers, each of said rows of interlocking elements being formed by one continuous thread and each of said interlocking elements including attaching portions formed by portions of said continuous thread interlaced with said threads of the respective Stringer only in an edge portion along the facing edge thereof, and an interlocking projection projecting from the facing edge of the respective Stringer outwardly in a direction toward the facing edge of the other Stringer and each of said interlocking projections having an interlocking portion of the slide fastener type for direct interlocking engagement with at least one interlocking portion of interlocking elements along the facing edge of the other Stringer.

14. A separable interlocking slide fastener of the slider type comprising, in combination, two stringers having facing longitudinal edges and made of threads which are interlaced with each other; and a row of spaced interlocking elements along the facing edge of each of said stringers, each of said rows of interlocking elements being formed by one continuous thread andreach of said interlocking elements including attaching portions formed by portions of said continuous thread interlaced with said threads of the respective Stringer only in an edge portion along the facing edge thereof, and an interlocking projection projecting from the facing edge of the respective Stringer outwardly in a direction towards the facing edge of the other Stringer and each of said interlocking projections having an interlocking portion of the slide fastener type for direct interlocking engagement with at least one interlocking portion of interlocking elements along the facing edge of the other Stringer, and the interlocking portions of at least one Stringer having in longitudinal direction of Said Stringer at least in part a width greater than the remainder of said continuous thread forming the interlocking elements of said Stringer.

l5. A separable interlocking fastener according to claim 2 in which the interlocking projections are formed by projecting loop-like portions of threads of said Stringers.

16. A separable interlocking fastener according to claim 2, in which the threads forming said interlocking elements consist of metal.

17. A separable interlocking fastener according to claim 2 in which the threads forming said interlocking elements have at least at the interlocking portions thereof a round cross section.

18. A separable interlocking fastener according to claim 2, in which the threads forming said interlocking elements have at least at the interlocking portions thereof a iat cross section.

19. A separable interlocking fastener according to claim 2, in which the threads are provided, at least at the interlocking portions thereof with knot-like thickenings.

20. A separable interlocking fastener according to claim 2, in which the threads forming said interlocking elements are weft threads of said stringers, the said weft threads forming the whole weft of Said Stringer.

21. A separable interlocking fastener according to claim 2, in which the threads forming said interlocking elements are weft threads of said stringers, said weft threads forming said interlocking elements being only worked in a bead-like edge provided on the Stringers.

22. A separable interlocking fastener according to claim 21 in which said weft threads at the same time forming behind said bead edge a reinforcement adapted to guide a slider.

23. A separable interlocking fastener of the slider type as defined in claim 2 in which said two Stringers having each a bead-like thickened edge, and a row of interlocking elements at the thickened edge of each Stringer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,300,443 Wahl Nov. 3, 1942 2,389,565 Taberlet Nov. 20, 1945 2,602,207 Kellems July 8, 1952 2,629,911 Macy Mar. 3, 1953 2,717,437 Mestral Sept. 13, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 338,331 Great Britain Nov. 20, 1930 376,040 ltaly Oct. 30, 1939 603,599 Great Britain `lune 18, 1948 

